GREEN BAY, Wis. – UW-Green Bay is offering the first-of-its-kind coaching program designed to support teachers within their first five years of teaching. This collaborative program is designed with support from school districts and will be led by experts in education and coaching including Vicki Bayer, current Green Bay Area Public School superintendent and Kerri Gremminger, professional career coach. The Early Educator Collective is focused on resilience, connection and long-term career sustainability.

    Educators play an invaluable role throughout the region and the state. Yet in Wisconsin, about half of teachers leave the profession by their seventh year creating strain on school districts, increased costs, disruption for students and added pressure on existing staff. The Early Educator Collective was developed in direct response to Wisconsin workforce needs, especially within rural districts.

    When Bowler School District Superintendent Glenda Butterfield-Boldig learned about the Collective, she immediately secured spots for teachers from her small rural district.

    “We are excited and grateful for this opportunity for our teachers to connect with educators across the region,” she said. “Our grade level teams are small, and being able to share questions, challenges and ideas with peers from different or larger districts helps ease the isolation some teachers feel.”

    Butterfield-Boldig believes the Collective will offer both perspective and a sense of belonging – a safe, supportive space where educators can navigate the internal and external pressures of the profession together. “Every teacher impacts students in countless ways,” she said. “I want our teachers to remember why they chose this work, feel proud of that choice and thrive through peer support, intentional coaching and true community connection.”

    Vicki Bayer, current superintendent for Green Bay Area Public Schools is honored to be leading the Collective. “I think this program addresses a gap that many public-school districts face when it comes to mentoring and supporting newer educators,” said Bayer. “A lot of the traditional mentorship programming and support focus on the first or second year, but once you hit your third year, the traditional support usually diminishes due to funding and capacity.”

    Bayer explains that many teachers understand the classroom and the basic responsibilities of teaching, but are also more intuitive with student behaviors, and in turn, question their planning and aren’t sure about how to make changes or tweaks to improve. This is where the collaborative approach between teaching and personal coaching and mentorship can make a difference. “I think it’s brilliant to come at it collaboratively. This isn’t just about classroom management strategies – it’s about how can I become a better professional as a human being.”

    While some larger school districts have invested in internal mentorship programs, those models are often limited by time, capacity and proximity within the same building or system. The Early Educator Collective takes a different approach—delivering structured, external support that complements existing efforts rather than replacing them. By connecting early-career teachers with peers across districts and experienced facilitators outside their immediate workplace, the program creates space for more open dialogue, fresh perspective and deeper reflection. This model not only supports educators in navigating the evolving challenges of the profession, but also helps reduce strain on internal leaders, allowing districts to extend their support systems in a more sustainable and effective way.

    Beginning Fall of 2026, educators will participate in monthly 1-hour virtual sessions held from September through May. Teachers will be placed in cohorts based on experience, and with peers outside of their current district. Each participant also receives two independent coaching sessions with the instructors.

    Visit the Early Educator Collective web page to learn more details. For additional questions, please contact Kerri Winkler, regional manager for UW-Green Bay Continuing Professional Education at 920-465-2508.

    About UW-Green Bay

    The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 11,519 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 101,000 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With campus locations in Green Bay, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and a theatre in Marinette, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest growing UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.